Recording and controlling card



lJuly 3, 1951 K. A. KNUTSEN RECORDING AND CONTROLLING CARD OriginalFiled July '7, 1948 012 7 9 012 .7 9 011 7 9 012 7 9 012 7 o. 0.\2 7 7o1. 7 9 12 7 y 012 l 9 012 l o. i0.12 l 9 |12 l 1 C uz U 1 -m 7 o Y mlzn 1 l 012 012 l 7 nuanunuuun- Ununn-u- B 000000000 nnuuunonuu.UIH-.UUUH-no DIZ .A l. ol,- 7 9 0l! 7 7 002 7 9 012 7 9 A 012 7 P 012 7P 012 7 9 aan@ also:

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Reissued July 3, 1951 pagnie des Machines Bull Paris, France, a companyOriginal No. 2,508,953, No. 37,412, July 7, 19 January 19, 1951, Uetober16, 1947 8 Claims.

Matter enclosed in heavy brackets reissue-specification; matter printedin My invention has for its object improvements in recording orcontrolling cards and it covers more particularly a card subdivided intovertical columns and horizontal lines, each horizontal line relating toa predetermined value while the actual value maybe recorded in eachcolumn of said card by aiiixing a sign, a line, a dot, a blot or thelike in the column considered on the hor."- zontal line corresponding tothe value that is to be recorded.

My invention refers thus more particularly to a card'of the well-knowntype used in perforated card machines with the difference that on suchperforated cards, the value is given out by a perforation provided at apredetermined location whereas on a card executed in accordance with mypresent invention the same value is given out by an opaque sign such asa line, a dot, a blot or the like, aiiixed on the card at the locationc-onsidered. These blots or lines termed hereinafter value signs aredistinguishable from the body of the card by reason of their opacity,color or of their particular electric properties. Such a card may beread by means of a photo-cell or the like suitable known means.

The card may include furthermore, in addition to the areas where thevalues are marked as disclosed hereabove, one or more areas adapted toreceive perforations as in the case of ordinary perforated cards.

The value signs may be produced by means of electrically conductive inkor the like material whereby the card may also be read through anelectric contact between each value sign and one or more sensingmembers. Cards with such electrically conductive value signs are knownper se.

Generally,` perforated cards as known heretofore show in each column ofthe card previously printed digits ranging from 0 to 9, referred tohereinafter as location digits, said digits indicating the location of aperforation that is to correspond to the value of one of said digits.Generally the perforation of a card is performed by machine and thelocation digits serve only for the identification through visual reading of the different perforations provided. n When the values are to beshown by blots or the like signs termed value signs, it is generallydesirable to aflix such signs by hand without resorting to a machine. Inthis case previously printed location digits or corresponding locationsigns indicate the accurate location at which the value signs are to beanixed. if these location signs were however printed in a normal mannerlll Re.23,385 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFI-CE RECORDING AND CONTROLLINGCARD Knut A. Knutsen, Paris, France, assigner to Com- (Societe Anonyme),of France dated May 23, 1950, Serial 48. Application for reissue SerialNo. 206,741. In France appears in the original patent hut forms no partof this italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

a drawback may be met inasmuch as when a card is to be readphotoelectrically, said previ# ously printed location signs act on thecell and render thus diflicult the reading of the value signs.

My invention has for its object a particular form of execution of suchlocation signs, according to which the said signs are constituted byimpressions of a nature such that they do not act substantially on thephoto-cell or cells or the like arrangements used for the reading of acard.

According to a rst form of execution of the invention, these locationsigns are constituted by recesses formed on the surface of the card andadapted to show where the value signs are to be afxed. These recessesmay serve as guides for the pencil, pen or the like means used fordrawing such value signs.

The following description given out by way of example and by no means ina binding sense with reference to accompanying drawings will allowascertaining how the invention may be executed in practice, the featuresappearing both in the drawing and in the specication forming obviouslypart of the invention.

. In the example described, the figures of the ,drawings illustrating itare as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a perforated card including an area provided with verticallocation signs according to my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the card of Fig. 1 carrying spots or linescorresponding to the values.

Fig. 3 is a detail of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section on through line IV--IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates the recording of a value sign under the form of aline.

Fig. 6 shows a card including an area provided with horizontal locationsigns.

Fig. '7 is a detail of the card illustrated in Fig. 6 said card beingprovided with lines of a conductive material indicating a value.

The card shown in Fig. Ll includes two areas A and C wherein thelocation digits are printed normally as is the case generally for cardsused in so-called perforated card machines.

The area D of the card is provided with perforations that through theirlocation and in accordance with the code generally used correspond tothe number 172,100. The area B ofthe card carries no printed matter butshows in each vertical column ten location signs under' the form anenlarged scale of recesses. The distance between the vertical columns ofthe zones B may be the same as for the areas A and C or else it may beselected at will. In the case illustrated in Figure l, the spacingbetween the vertical columns in the area B is larger than in the case oftheV spacing of the columns in the Zones A and C provided for receivingperforations. One of the impressed recesses is illustrated on a largerscale in` Fig.. 3. It includes a recess shown cross-sectionally in Fig.4. Such recesses may be obtained mechanically through the pressure of atool or otherwise in accordance with any known method that it is notnecessary to describe. By reason of their small depth, they do notproduce any shadows adapted tov have an influence on the reading means.In addition to their use for indicating the location ot theY actualvalue sign, such impressions act as guiding means for the pencil, thepen or the like means used for aiiixing value Fig; 5 shows how such arecess mayV guide the tip of a pencil used for drawing a line' ol'predetermined length exactly at the location desired.

Fig. 2 shows a card provided in its area Bwith its lines or signscorresponding to different values according to my method and showing thesame number' 1.72100 as that recorded by perforations in the area D ofFig.. l... The pri-nted location digits to either side of' thel zone Bof' Fig. 1 allow find-ingeasily in the area B the impressioncorresponding to the value that is to be given out.

The reading of the area B is performed for instance by causing the cardto pass in front of asystem of photo-cells, each cell corresponding toone vertical column andv only one. The line a'ix'ed in a columndistinguishes from the color of the card and produces a modification inthe cell current at a, precise predetermined moment of the machinecycle. This Variation in current is suitably amplified and actuates arelay that in its turn provides a recording of the value considered.This reading and recording form well known operations.

The surface at the bottom of the recesses of the location impressionsmay be a rough one `in order to make the deposition of material easier.

Fig. 6 shows a card including an area E provided with locationimpression assuming a horizontal direction. Fig.. T shows the area E ofthe same card wherein four location impressions have been provided withlines made of conductive ink so as to form. the number 2,100. Ashereinabove the recess of the location impressions servev as guides fora pencil or the like tool providing for one execution of an electricallyconductive line,

and they allow thus the obtention of an accurately located well-definedline.

When the lines of conductivel ink are laid over a smooth card withoutany recesses, the friction of the cards against one another during thehandling, stacking or feeding of the cards one by one from a stack intothe machine usedv for reading the card, provides to a variable extentfor the removal of the conductive link which leads to errors in therecording obtained in the machine.

My invention solves such difculties. The conductive ink or pasteintroduced in accordance with my invention inside the recess forming thelocation impression is better retained and cannot be removed by therubbing of the cards against one another.

A further advantage of the card provided with recesses according to theinvention consists 111.

that. :it is possible to apply a. thicker layer of conductive. materialon. thecard foreach line, or sign executed, which makes the electriccontact a more reliable one.

The cards provided with lines of conductive material' may be scanned inany known manner; for instance. the card may be caused to advance ini'roritV of a series of pairs of contacting members and when. aconductive line passes in front of two such members, said line forms aconnection between said two members and closes the circuit to which thesaid two members belong.

The existence of recessed impressions in the card allows moving nearervto one another the verticali columns in the area of the card ascribedto such impressions, which increases the capacity of the card. As amatter of fact and in the absence of such impressions, when lines orsigns are laid in the columns, a line may be more or less shifted towardan adjacent column which will risk thus acting on the cell adapted toread said adjacent column and consequently making errors arise.

Cards provided with hollow location impressions according to myinvention show thelsame advantages as disclosed hereinabove in the casewhere the material forming the value signs have particular propertiesother than color or conductivity as already mentioned. For instance, thematerial may show magnetic properties (atomised iron) or else dielectricor phosphorescent properties. Reading means suiting such various casesare well known per se.

What I claim is:

l. A statistical card for controlling a machine with electrical sensingmeans, said card having a plurality of index point positions arranged indenominationally ordered columns in which each of said index pointpositions is delimited byA a location sign consisting of a recess [ofoblong form] impressed in the front surface of the card. said recessbeing adapted to receive material physically different from that of' thecard below the front surface of said card.

2. A statistical card for controlling. a machine with electrical sensingmeans, said cardv having a plurality of index point positions arrangedin denominationally ordered columns in which each of said index pointpositions is delimited by a location sign consisting of a recess ofoblong form impressed inthe front surfaceV of the card, and a layer ofmaterial physically different from that of the card deposited in atleast one of said recesses for acting on the sensing means, said layerhaving a thickness at most equal to the depthA of the recess.

3. A statistical card for controlling a machine with photo-electricsensing means, said card having a plurality of indexpoint positionsarranged in denominationally ordered columns in which each of said indexpoint positions is delimited by a location sign consisting of a recessof oblong form impressed in the front surface of the card'l said recessbeing of the same color as the card so that it has no action on thephoto-electric sensing means.

4. A statistical card for controlling a machine with photo-electricsensing means, said card have ing a plurality of index point positionsarranged in denominationally ordered columns in which each of said indexpoint positions is delimited by a location sign consisting of a recessof oblong form impressed in the front surface of the card, said recessbeing of the same color as the card so that it has no action onl thephoto-electric sensing means and a layer of material having a colordifferent from that of the card deposited in at least one of saidrecesses, the thickness of said layer being at most equal to the depthof the recess.

5. A statistical card for controlling a machine with means for sensingelectrically conductive marks, said card having a plurality of indexpoint positions arranged in denominationally ordered columns in whicheach of said index point positions is delimited by a recess oi oblongform impressed in the front surface of the card, said recess beingadapted to receive conductive material below the front surface of saidcard.

6. A statistical card for controlling a machine with means for sensingelectrically conductive marks, said card having a plurality of indexpoint positions arranged in denominationally ordered columns in whicheach of said index point positions is delimited by a recess of oblongform impressed in the front surface of the card and a layer ofconductive material deposited in at least one of said recesses thethickness of said layer being at most equal to the depth of the recess.

7. A statistical card for controlling a machine with photo-electricsensing means, said card having a plurality of index point positionsarranged in denominationally ordered columns in which the location ofeach index point position is delimited by a recess of oblong formimpressed in the front surface of the card, said recess being of lthesame color as the card and having edges to guide and limit the movementof an instrument for depositing colored material in said recess.

8, A statistical card for controlling a machine with means for sensingelectrically conductive marks, said card having a plurality of indexpoint positions arranged in denominationally ordered columns in whicheach of said index point positions is delimited by a recess of oblongform impressed in the front surface of the card, said recess havingedges adapted to guide in orthogonal directions an instrument fordepositing conductive material in said recess.

KNUT A. KNUTSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,962,732 Bryce et al. June 12,1934 2,150,256 Warren Mar. 14, 1939 2,275,396 Johnson Mar. 3, 19422,310,438 Johnson Feb. 9, 1943

